Peter Schmeichel: Saha will help United shift into top gear

The champions have maintained their challenge without being at their best  and that is bad news for their rivals

THERE’S a full Premiership programme in midweek before a break for the FA Cup and international games, as the middle phase of the season comes to an end. When the League restarts, it will be, as Sir Alex Ferguson might put it, “squeaky-bum time”. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United will have just 13 games left to win or lose the League. My money is on United.

I haven’t seen them play anywhere near their best yet, but I know that team so well: the big push is about to come. United do it every season. The philosophy at the club is just to stay in contention until the new year, then start moving up through the gears. Despite being below par, United have got more points at this stage than in any of the past four seasons, and that must worry their rivals. They haven ’t yet achieved the attacking